Port relay board for a machine

ABSTRACT

A port relay board for a machine is disclosed. The machine includes an operator station that includes a primary display station and a plurality of sub-systems that includes one or more fluid reservoirs. The port relay board includes a plurality of ports and a feedback interface. The plurality of ports corresponds to the plurality of sub-systems and is being structured to allow delivery of the fluids to the one or more fluid reservoirs. The feedback interface is disposed in proximity of the plurality of ports and is in communication with the primary display station. The feedback interface is configured to provide fluid level information of the one or more fluid reservoirs of the plurality of sub-systems, which is based on a communication with the primary display station.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to hydraulic machines. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a port relay board for a machine.

BACKGROUND

Mining, construction, and other large-scale excavating operations require fleets of digging, loading, and hauling machines to remove and transport excavated material, such as ore or other loads. Material may be transported from an area of excavation to multiple different destinations at a common worksite. For such an operation to be profitable, the fleets of machines must be productively and efficiently operated. Hence, for maintenance and serviceability purposes, the machine may record and transmit performance data to a central operator station during operation. The performance data may include payload, engine speed, and fluid characteristics (such as levels, contamination, viscosity, temperature, pressure, and so on), fuel consumption, exhaust emissions, braking conditions, transmission characteristics, and/or the like.

Due to the mobility of the machine, the performance data that pertains to the fluid characteristics is significant to determine the supply of plurality of fluids, such as diesel fuel, engine coolant, pump transmission gear oil, engine oil, hydraulic oil, grease, and/or the like. Conventionally, the performance data related to fluid characteristics may be shown in a display connected to the central operator station. An operator who fills the machine may be required to download the performance data from the central operator station, and thereafter may initiate the filling operations. During filling operations, the supply of the fluids may be facilitated via a retractable service station. The service station may be installed beneath the engine module and may be easily accessible from the ground. However, in harsh conditions, it may be unfavorable for the operator to make efforts to download fluid level data from the service station. This makes the filling operation inefficient and less productive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to a port relay board for a machine. The machine includes an operator station and a plurality of sub-systems. Each of the plurality of the sub-systems includes one or more fluid reservoirs. The operator station includes a primary display station.

In accordance with the present disclosure, the port relay board includes a plurality of ports and a feedback interface. The plurality of ports corresponds to the plurality of sub-systems and is structured to allow delivery of the fluids to the one or more fluid reservoirs. The feedback interface is disposed in proximity of the plurality of ports and is in communication with the primary display station. The feedback interface is configured to provide fluid level information for the one or more fluid reservoirs of the plurality of sub-systems, based on a communication with the primary display station.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a machine, such as a mining shovel, in accordance with the concepts of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a rear portion of the machine of FIG. 1, in accordance with the concepts of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a port relay board of the machine of FIG. 2, in accordance with the concepts of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of a feedback interface of the port relay board of FIG. 3, in accordance with the concepts of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of a display control system, in accordance with the concepts of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a machine 100. The machine 100 may be a wheeled or tracked industrial vehicle. Examples of the machine 100 may be, but is not limited to, a mining shovel, excavators, material loaders, dozers, and/or the like. In the exemplary embodiment, the machine 100 embodies a tracked mining shovel, which is used to load or unload material in mining or construction areas. The machine 100 includes a frame 102, one or more traction devices 104, a base 106, a engine housing 108, a boom 110, a stick 112, an implement 114, and an operator station 116.

The frame 102 is supported on the one or more traction devices 104. The frame 102 may embody the stationary base 106 that connects the one or more traction devices 104 (such as wheels, tracks, and/or the like) to a engine (not shown), which is enclosed in the engine housing 108. The traction devices 104 are powered and driven by the engine (not shown), to propel the machine 100 in a desired direction for operation. The engine (not shown) may be an engine, such as a diesel engine, a gasoline engine, a gaseous fuel-powered engine, a natural gas engine, or other engine known to one skilled in the art. The engine (not shown) in the engine housing 108 is supported by the frame 102 and configured to produce mechanical and/or electrical power output, which is in turn used to drive operation of a steering component (not shown) and the implement 114.

The boom 110 is coupled to the body of the machine 100. The boom 110 is actuated by one or more boom cylinders 118, which are coupled to the frame 102 at one end and to the boom 110 at a second end. The boom 110 is pivotally coupled to the stick 112. The stick 112 is actuated by one or more stick cylinders 120, which are configured to tilt the stick 112 with respect to the boom 110. The stick 112, in turn, is pivotally coupled to the implement 114. The implement 114 may embody a specialized device, such as a bucket, a shovel, or the like, which is used in the performance of a particular task. The implement 114 may be connected to the frame 102 via the stick 112, and may be movable relative to the frame 102. In the current embodiment of machine 100, the implement 114 is lifted by the one or more boom cylinders 118 and tilted by the stick cylinders 120. The implement 114 defines a bowl-shaped portion to hold material. The implement 114 includes a rear wall portion, which is pivotally coupled to the stick 112. It is also contemplated that the implement 114 may alternatively or additionally be configured to pivot, rotate, slide, swing, or move in other ways relative to the frame 102, via a pair of implement cylinders 122.

The implement 114 may be operated from the operator station 116. The operator station 116 is supported on the frame 102 and includes one or more operator interface devices (not shown), such as a steering wheel, single or multi-axis joysticks, switches, knobs, or other known devices that are located proximal to an operator seat. Further, the operator station 116 houses a primary display station (shown as 510 in FIG. 5), which is configured to show fluid levels of one or more fluid reservoirs (shown as 504 in FIG. 5). The one or more reservoirs (shown as 504 in FIG. 5) are associated with a plurality of sub-systems (shown as 502 in FIG. 5), such as lubrication system, fuel system, cooling system, and/or the like.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a rear portion 200 of the machine 100. The rear portion 200 of the machine 100 is shown with a port relay board 202 installed underneath the engine (not shown). The port relay board 202 is retractable and easily accessible from the ground. In the retracted position, the port relay board 202 is aligned with the frame 102. In the described embodiment, the port relay board 202 is shown in a serviceable position, thereby allowing an operator to execute the filling operation.

Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown the port relay board 202. The port relay board 202 is in control communication with the primary display station 510 (shown in FIG. 5). The port relay board 202 includes a plurality of ports 300 and a feedback interface 302. The plurality of ports 300 may include at least one coolant port 300 a, at least one lubricant port 300 b, at least one relief valve port 300 c, at least one pump drive port 300 d, at least one hydraulic oil port 300 e, at least one oil extension port 300 f, at least one fuel port 300 g, and at least one engine oil port 300 h. Each of the plurality of ports 300 are connected to the respective sub-systems (shown as 502 in FIG. 5), so as to deliver respective fluid to the sub-systems (shown as 502 in FIG. 5).

The feedback interface 302 is positioned in proximity to the plurality of ports 300. The feedback interface 302 is in communication with the primary display station 510 (shown in FIG. 5), via a controller area network (CAN) bus network. The feedback interface 302 is configured to visually represent fluid levels of the respective fluid reservoirs (shown as 504 in FIG. 5) of the sub-systems (shown as 502 in FIG. 5).

Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown the feedback interface 302 having a screen 400. A home page on the screen 400 of the feedback interface 302 is shown, which includes various input buttons such a first button 402, a second button 404, a third button 406, a fourth button 408, a fifth button 410, a sixth button 412, a backward navigation button 414, and a forward navigation button 416. Each of the first button 402, the second button 404, the third button 406, the fourth button 408, the fifth button 410, and the sixth button 412 is designated for a pre-determined function to display a pre-determined set of informations. On being actuated, the first button 402, the second button 404, the third button 406, the fourth button 408, the fifth button 410, and the sixth button 412, navigate the screen 400 to pages corresponding to the pre-determined set of informations. With the help of the backward navigation button 414 and the forward navigation button 416, the operator can navigate back and forth through pages on the screen 400 of the feedback interface 302. Hence, based on the button pressed by the operator, the feedback interface 302 provides visual data for the pre-determined set of informations, in response to the button actuated by the operator.

For example, when the operator presses the first button 402, then the screen 400 may navigate to a page displaying information related to operating hours of the machine 100, service interval information, filter condition information, engine oil information, language information, and the like. When the operator presses the second button 404, then the screen 400 may display information required for universal serial bus (USB) download of operational data from the primary display station (shown as 510 in FIG. 5) and may also display the operating hours of the machine 100. Similarly, on pressing the third button 406, the screen 400 may display information related to engine operating hours (operating hours for each engine, in case of dual engines and multiple engines) and engine oil consumption.

In addition, actuation of the fourth button 408 may result in display of information of the operating hours and temperatures pertaining to fluids, such as coolant, lubricant, hydraulic oil, and engine oil on the screen 400. As the operator presses the fifth button 410, the screen 400 may display the operating hours of the machine 100 and the fluid level information of the fluid reservoirs (shown as 504 in FIG. 5) of the sub-systems (shown as 502 in FIG. 5). Similarly, the actuation of the sixth button 412 may result in display of inclination information of the machine 100, on the screen 400.

Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a block diagram of a display control system 500 of the machine 100. The display control system 500 may include a plurality of sub-systems 502, one or more fluid reservoirs 504, one or more fluid level sensors 506, a controller 508, the primary display station 510, and the feedback interface 302. The plurality of sub-systems 502 includes the one or more fluid reservoirs 504. The one or more fluid reservoirs 504 are equipped with the one or more fluid level sensors 506, adapted to measure fluid levels in the fluid reservoirs 504 of the sub-systems 502. The fluid level sensors 506 are in control communication with the controller 508. The controller 508, in turn, is in control communication with the primary display station 510. The controller 508 is adapted to receive fluid level information from the fluid level sensors 506 and deliver the information to the primary display station 510. The primary display station 510 displays the fluid information received by the controller 508. The primary display station 510 is in control communication with the feedback interface 302, via the CAN bus connection.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

In operation, to provide for an efficient filling operation, before and/or during the filing operation, the operator may want to know the operating hours of the machine 100 and the fluid level information for a particular fluid reservoir 504. For this purpose, the fluid level sensors 506 measure the fluid level in the fluid reservoir 504 and generate the fluid level information. The controller 508 is in control communication with the fluid level sensors 506, receives the fluid level information, and delivers the fluid level information to the primary display station 510. The fluid level information is related to the amount of the fluid that remains in the fluid reservoir 504. The primary display station 510 shows the fluid level information, based on data received from the controller 508. Further, the primary display station 510 is in communication with the feedback interface 302. Hence, the feedback interface 302 displays the fluid level information as shown by the primary display station 510. In an embodiment, the feedback interface 302 may include one or more pages, which display the fluid level information for different sub-systems 502. This allows the operator to navigate to the page having the fluid level information of the desired sub-system 502. The feedback interface 302 also provides the operator with the following information, such as fluid level, fluid temperature, operating hours of the machine 100, engine hours (left hand and right hand, if dual engine), fuel consumption of each engine, USB download of fault storage and log files, inclination of the machine 100, maintenance data including but not restricting to service interval, language setting, and the like.

When the operator performs the filling operation for a particular fluid reservoir 504, the operator may extract fluid information from the feedback interface 302. This allows the operator to estimate the amount of fluid to be filled during the filling operation. Further, the operator may also determine the temperature of the corresponding fluid. The temperature is important for the warm up procedure in cold weather conditions. In the existing port relay boards, lack of the feedback interface 302 may cause inconvenience to the operator when determining the amount of fluid to be filled in the fluid reservoirs 504. Hence, the disclosed feedback interface 302 facilitates an efficient filling operation and increased operator reliability.

The many features and advantages of the disclosure are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the disclosure that fall within the true spirit and scope thereof. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art. It is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and, accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to that fall within the scope of the disclosure. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A port relay board for a machine, the machine including an operator station and a plurality of sub-systems, each of the plurality of sub-systems including one or more fluid reservoirs, the operator station including a primary display station, the port relay board comprising: a plurality of ports corresponding to the plurality of sub-systems, the plurality of ports being structured to allow delivery of fluids to the one or more fluid reservoirs; and a feedback interface disposed in proximity of the plurality of ports, in communication with the primary display station, the feedback interface configured to provide fluid level information of the one or more fluid reservoirs of the plurality of sub-systems based on the communication with the primary display station.
 2. The feedback interface of claim 1, includes an input unit configured to receive input from an operator and selectively display fluid level of the plurality of sub-systems. 